Friday, June 30, 2017

Fire risk management is often considered the best starting point
when trying to prevent fires. There are several reasons for carrying out
fire risk management and some of the reasons can be categorized in the
following 3 ways:

Moral

Moral considerations should
be the prime reason for managing risk. Persons should not be exposed to
intolerable risk while resorting to premises or in the employ of others.
A moral code exists in most countries; therefore we expect employers or
other responsible persons to treat the health and safety of occupiers
of the premises as being of greater importance than financial profit.

Moral
considerations are based on the concept of the 'Responsible Person'
owing a duty of reasonable care to relevant 'Persons'. A person does not
expect to risk life or serious injury as a condition of resorting to a
premises or whilst in employment.

Economic/Financial

Where
a business is unfortunate enough to suffer a fire, there is a very
strong possibility that it may never resume. Even a small fire can cause
severe disruption. Apart from the physical and costly effects of smoke
and heat, fire may also cause costly and lengthy interference to
services such as electrical, telecommunications, heating etc. leading to
a temporary shutdown of the facility and an immediate loss in revenue.

When
a business is part of a supply chain, the loss of that particular
business can have a knock on effect on other businesses reliant on the
supply of products, leading to a wide spread financial loss. Even if a
business is brought back into operation, it is quite conceivable that
customers have moved their buying power to other suppliers. Unless the
down time caused by a fire is minimal, skilled staff are quite likely to
move to new positions elsewhere therefore leading to a skills\shortage
on re-start.

The loss of a major employer can have a detrimental
financial impact on the local community. The impact on an individual
will be devastating, however the knock on effect caused by the loss of
the individuals spending power will also affect other local businesses
and services that in turn may have to downsize or could close
altogether. This can lead to an economic downward spiral plunging an
area in to social deprivation. In certain circumstances, the stigma
associated with a fire ravaged premises can mean that it never fully
recovers even after being rebuilt. There could be a strong negative
effect on revenue when prospective clients would learn about a previous
fire in a care home for example.

When a building suffers from a
fire, it is almost guaranteed that insurance companies will increase
insurance premiums and any excess on the policy. Additional safeguards
will also be expected to avoid repetition.

Social

When
an establishment provides a unique or vital service, the loss of that
provision can have a severe detrimental effect on the local community or
in some cases a much wider area. The disruption caused to the public or
service continuity when a hospital or a school is closed down for a few
weeks can have severe consequences on the society's health and
wellbeing, both physical and mental stress. These events can lead to a
lack of confidence in the society's ability to manage itself, which
would also have a negative effect on the society's economic climate if
people become more reluctant to use the services provided locally and
travel elsewhere to fulfill their needs.